PHP (or PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor)

What is php, and why do I want it on my web site?

PHP (or PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor)

PHP is a server-side scripting language used in the development of dynamic web sites.

Why Does This Matter to Me?

Creating a dynamic web site will help you build a richer web experience for your clients, customers, and other site visitors. This will encourage repeat visits to your web site and increase the probability of a web site visitor becoming a client or customer.

Also, having a dynamic web site can allow you to control and update some or all of the content on your web site, helping you to keep the web site fresh and current using content management tools.

PHP is one technology that will help keep the burden of maintaining your dynamic web site on your web server, rather than on the client's computer. This will minimize the chances that your web site doesn't work for some visitors. Since you (or your web developers) know the capabilities and limitations of your web server, you can insure that the scripting all works on the server, and that your web site is accessible and usable by all visitors.

PHP is used for events calendars, photo galleries, on-line shopping carts, press and news managements, web site announcements, and many other components of a dynamic web site, up to and including full content management systems.

PHP is part of the LAMP architecture for web servers.